Resources

Android™ delivers a complete set of software for mobile devices: an operating system,
middleware and key mobile applications.

Open

Android was built from the ground-up to enable developers to create compelling mobile
applications that take full advantage of all a handset has to offer. It was built to be
truly open. For example, an application can call upon any of the phone’s core
functionality such as making calls, sending text messages, or using the camera,
allowing developers to create richer and more cohesive experiences for users. Android
is built on the open Linux Kernel. Furthermore, it utilizes a custom virtual machine
that was designed to optimize memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment.
Android is open source; it can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge
technologies as they emerge. The platform will continue to evolve as the developer
community works together to build innovative mobile applications.

All applications are created equal

Android does not differentiate between the phone’s core applications and third-party
applications. They can all be built to have equal access to a phone’s capabilities
providing users with a broad spectrum of applications and services. With devices built
on the Android Platform, users are able to fully tailor the phone to their interests.
They can swap out the phone's homescreen, the style of the dialer, or any of the
applications. They can even instruct their phones to use their favorite photo viewing
application to handle the viewing of all photos.

Breaking down application boundaries

Android breaks down the barriers to building new and innovative applications. For
example, a developer can combine information from the web with data on an individual’s
mobile phone — such as the user’s contacts, calendar, or geographic location — to
provide a more relevant user experience. With Android, a developer can build an
application that enables users to view the location of their friends and be alerted
when they are in the vicinity giving them a chance to connect.

Fast & easy application development

Android provides access to a wide range of useful libraries and tools that can be used
to build rich applications. For example, Android enables developers to obtain the
location of the device, and allows devices to communicate with one another enabling
rich peer–to–peer social applications. In addition, Android includes a full set of
tools that have been built from the ground up alongside the platform providing
developers with high productivity and deep insight into their applications.